Alert archive / Colorado / Snow Squall Warnings in 2021

Snow Squall Warning 3, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

December 15, 20214 counties in Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this snow squall warning at Dec 15, 2021, 6:49 AM MST for 4 counties in Colorado. It was in force for 56 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Dec 15, 2021, 6:49 AM MST (13:49 UTC)
Expired
Dec 15, 2021, 7:45 AM MST
In force
56 min
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Clear Creek County, CO, Gilpin County, CO, Grand County, CO, Summit County, CO

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 104 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:52 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 12:00Z, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 217 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Denver, CO at 12:00Z on 2021-12-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Denver, CO at 12:00Z on 2021-12-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 194 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
2403 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
85 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
194 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
264 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

537 
WWUS55 KBOU 151349
SQWBOU

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Snow Squall Warning
National Weather Service Denver CO
649 AM MST Wed Dec 15 2021

COC019-047-049-117-151445-
/O.NEW.KBOU.SQ.W.0003.211215T1349Z-211215T1445Z/
Summit CO-Gilpin CO-Grand CO-Clear Creek CO-
649 AM MST Wed Dec 15 2021

The National Weather Service in Denver Colorado has issued a

* Snow Squall Warning for...
  East central Summit County in central Colorado...
  Gilpin County in central Colorado...
  Southeastern Grand County in north central Colorado...
  Clear Creek County in central Colorado...

* Until 745 AM MST.

* At 648 AM MST, a dangerous snow squall was located over Dillon, or 
  50 miles west of Denver, moving east at 25 mph.

  HAZARD...Whiteout conditions.  Zero visibility in snow and blowing 
           snow. Wind gusts greater than 40 mph.

  SOURCE...Radar and webcams.

  IMPACT...Dangerous life-threatening travel.

* This includes Interstate 70 between mile markers 210 and 246.
 
Locations impacted include...
Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Central City, Empire, Silver Plume, Black
Hawk, Berthoud Pass, Blue Valley, Loveland Pass, Berthoud Falls, St
Marys Glacier, Aspen Springs, Bakerville, Dumont, Keystone, Echo
Lake, Guanella Pass, Brookvale and Floyd Hill.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Consider avoiding or delaying travel until the snow squall passes
your location. If you must travel, use extra caution and allow extra
time. Rapid changes in visibility and slick road conditions may lead
to accidents.

&&

LAT...LON 3956 10596 3978 10604 3991 10541 3962 10540
TIME...MOT...LOC 1348Z 266DEG 23KT 3968 10586 

$$

SCHLATTER

The office that day

Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 15, 6:03 AM MSTSnow Squall WarningBOUSummit57 min
Dec 15, 7:47 AM MSTSpecial Weather StatementBOUBoulder, Broomfield, Denver, Jefferson43 min
Dec 15, 8:12 AM MSTSpecial Weather StatementBOUDouglas48 min

Nearby

Snow Squall Warnings in Colorado, 2021Every snow squall warning in 2021

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.